No mercy / Dominant U.S. captures gold with 79th straight win

United States's Crystl Bustos celebrates as she rounds the bases after hitting a home run against Australia during the first inning of their the gold medal game at the Olympic Softball Center at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Monday, Aug. 23, 2004. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) less

United States's Crystl Bustos celebrates as she rounds the bases after hitting a home run against Australia during the first inning of their the gold medal game at the Olympic Softball Center at the 2004 ... more

Photo: ERIC GAY

Photo: ERIC GAY

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United States's Crystl Bustos celebrates as she rounds the bases after hitting a home run against Australia during the first inning of their the gold medal game at the Olympic Softball Center at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Monday, Aug. 23, 2004. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) less

United States's Crystl Bustos celebrates as she rounds the bases after hitting a home run against Australia during the first inning of their the gold medal game at the Olympic Softball Center at the 2004 ... more

Photo: ERIC GAY

No mercy / Dominant U.S. captures gold with 79th straight win

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2004-08-24 04:00:00 PDT Athens -- Break up the Americans.

The U.S. softball team completed its scorched-earth run through the Olympics on Monday with a 5-1 win over Australia, America's third straight gold medal.

The Americans' nine wins here by a combined score of 51-1 were so impressive that they might serve as ammunition for those lobbying to bounce softball from the Olympics.

Sounds crazy that the United States could be too good for its own good, but the whole Olympics had a surreal feel for the American team.

The journey started two years ago when the U.S. softball program kicked into a higher gear and became a 24/7 commitment for coaches and players.

And it took a sad turn July 18 when, just as the team was wrapping up its pre-Olympics tour, coach Mike Candrea's wife, Sue, died of a brain aneurism. He stayed on as coach, the players becoming his support, and his courage becoming their inspiration.

Monday afternoon, as pitcher Lisa Fernandez was mowing down the Aussies and third baseman Crystl Bustos was cracking two booming home runs, Candrea kept cool in the dugout by rubbing his wedding band.

"I had a dream last night," he said after the game. "Sue walked into the room and told me to chill out."

Candrea has told his players all along not to try to win for him, but for their country. Not only did Candrea not want his grief to be a distraction, he didn't want it to be the team's motivation. His players listened. Sort of.

"If there's one thing I prayed to God to do to help him, it was to play the best softball I could play," Fernandez said. "That was the one piece of solace that could get him through these Games. ... He stood strong for us."

Immediately after the last out, and continuing through the medal ceremony and the postgame news conference, the coach and his players hugged the tears out of each other.

"I look at this team as my courage to get through a tough time," Candrea said, not bothering to hold back the tears as he addressed the media. "I will never forget the ride they put me on through this Olympic Games. It's helped me, that's all I can say."

The U.S. team won the gold at Sydney, but not without a near-miracle comeback, and the close call put Softball USA on high alert. Money was pumped in, Candrea was hired, cutting-edge technology employed and a much greater commitment asked of the players, a full-time two-year run-up to these games.

It helps that the United States has the raw material. For instance, Monday Fernandez got the start, even though she had pitched the previous day, because of her big-game experience, and perhaps as a reward for her long and glorious Olympic career. Idling in the dugout were two women who are arguably the world's most dominating softball pitchers, Jennie Finch and Cat Osterman.

Third baseman Bustos scares people. She hit a two-run homer in the first and led off the third with a shot so far over the left-field fence that it brought a collective gasp from spectators and players.

"I haven't seen a ball hit like that since the last one she hit like that, " Finch said.

The two-homer day gave Bustos five for the Olympics, and the stats racked up by the Americans are so ridiculous as to seem almost meaningless. They out- hit their opponents .343 to .098. Fernandez went 12-for-22 (.545) for the tournament.

Softball will be in the Olympics in 2008, but the jury is out on 2012. One problem: the perception that it's too much of a one-country sport.

And the U.S. is good, having won (counting exhibitions) 79 games in a row. That last loss was to the USA "B" team.

At least the Americans left themselves room for improvement by allowing that one run, in the sixth inning.

But regardless of what happens in the future, what the U.S. team did here will be carved in stone, and in the hearts of the players and coaches, forever. Sunday evening Candrea held a team meeting. He told his players, "Be prepared to have the best day of your lives."